Heavy load ground effect machines



Jan- 430, 1968 D. K. WARNER 3,35G,195

HEAVY-LOAI) GROUND EFFECT MACHINES Filed March 24, 1965 .3 Sheets-Sheet l N kg (n l N i '0.-' i l' INVENTO D. K. WARNER Jan. 30, 1968 HEAVY LOAD GROUND EFFECT MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24, 1965 n INVENTOR. MUG/.A S K. #VARA/ER, EcEAsE 5y Lac/1 5 E. f4/AH NER 1A/a FL VA l/V, 05E/rr; m/A/rfxfcum/cff BY fz v ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 30, 1968 D. K; WARNER SQ HEAVY LOAD GROUND4 EFFECT MACHINES Filed March 24, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 l 4 BY ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O 3,366,195 HEAVY LOAD GROUND EFFECT MACHINES Douglas K. Warner, deceased, late of Sarasota, Fla., by Lucille E. Warner, 1937 Panama Drive, Sarasota, Fla. 33580, and Elva W. Roberts, P.O. Box 79-D, Rte: 1, Lake Wylie, Pineville, N.C. 28134, joint executrrces Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 168,469, Jan. 24, 1962. This application Mar. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 442,210

4 Claims. (Cl. 180-120) This is a continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 168,469, filed Ian. 24, 1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates to ground effects machine or machines which customarily utilize a layer of a compressed gas under the device to lift the vehicle off of an underlying surface.

It has been known in the art to utilize a ground effects machine on either a water surface or a land surface. One difficulty in all such machines is that a very smooth surface is necessary for efficient operation. One facet of this difficulty resides in the loss of the pressurized gas from underneath the vehicle. Another facet of this problem resides in the instability of the vehicle which compounds the loss of eiciency resulting from the loss of pressurized gas.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a ground effects machine capable of traveling over an undulating water surface.

It is another object of this invention to provide a ground effects machine having independent stabilizing and load supporting means.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a ground effects machine having means to minimize the loss of pressurized gas from underneath the vehicle.

It is another object of this invention to provide a ground elects machine that is capable of traversing uneven surfaces by the cooperation of a maximum retention pressurized gas underneath the vehicle and the use of independent load support means.

Another object of this invention is to use the independent load supporting means for leveling the vehicle on an undulating water surface.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of large, lightweight, strong air retaining means on the underside of the vehicle that are arranged to accommodate the undulations of an underlying water surface without undue loss of pressurized gases.

Other objects and advantages of this invention reside in the combinations of elements, features of construction and operation, and arrangements of parts, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows a plan view of a ground effects machine embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device of FIGURE 1 taken along line 3-3 thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the device of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 s a rear elevational view of the device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE l6 is an enlarged sectional View of a portion of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 7 is a partial sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIGURE 6.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 to 3 inclusive, a ground effects machine indicated generally at 10 is provided with a pair of wings 12 extending laterally from the vehicle body indicated generally at 14. Vehicle body 14 com- 3,366,195 Patented Jan. 30, 1968 prises an upper wall 16, a lower wall 18, and a pair of side walls 20, defining a main cabin or transport storage area 22 having a number of observation ports 24 at the front end thereof. Suitable control means, not shown, may be conveniently positioned adjacent observation ports 24 for controlling the attitude of the vehicle during flight.

Upper wall 16 has mounted thereon a pair of spaced apart tail fins 26 on each of which is pivotally mounted a rearwardly extending rudder 28 joum-aled thereon by a pair of bearings 30, 32. An aileron 34 is mounted at the rearward end of upper wall 16 by bearings 36, 38 to provide a means for controlling the rise of the vehicle during flight. A bearing 40 is rigidly secured to each of the side walls 20 extending rearwardly therefrom and providing a means for minimizing the air turbulence at the rearward end of the vehicle. The rear end of the transport area 22 is customarily closed by any conventional means, not shown.

The lower wall 18 comprises the uppermost portion of a plenum chamber 42 into which a compressed gas is injected by conventional compressor means 44 which may be a driven fan, a jet engine, or a steam emitting device. Providing for the flow of compressed gases in the plenum chamber 42 is an air inlet system comprising a series of air inlet openings 46, each of which communicate through the compressor means 44 and conduit 48 with the plenum chamber 42 through discharge outlet 51. Thus it is seen that there is provided a compressed air source for generating the necessary compressed gases within plenum chamber 42 to provide the compressed air layer on which the vehicle 10 will travel.

Provided on the forward lower half of the body 14 are a number of air flow control flaps, the foremost of which is a flap 50. Flap 50 is hingedly mounted at 52 to a rigid section 54 on which is hingedly mounted at 58 a rearward air flow control ap 56. Sections 50, 54 and 56 form a continuous curvilinear extension of bottom wall 18 when Wing flaps 50, 56 are closed. 'Ihe foremost flap 50, when closed, coacts with a stationary laterally extending plate 58' and an interiorally mounted brace and seal means 60 to provide a forwardly extending air foil like structure shown generally at 62. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 6, each of the pivoted flaps 50, 56 are selectively movably by hydraulic cylinders 64, 66 pivotally mounted at 68, 70, to the fiaps 50, 56 and each is pivotally mounted on a stationary member at 72, 74.

Pivotally mounted on the rearward edge of plate 58' is a series of forward air retaining flaps generally indicated at 76, which span the lateral distance between the vertical sidewalls 20. As shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, the air retaining aps 76 comprise a bearing 78 mounted on a stationary support 80. Rigidly secured to bearing 78 is a pair of vertical rearwardly extending substantially parallel plates 82 which are spaced a considerable distance apart for reasons hereafter explained. Lying inwardly of each pair of plates 82, are a pair of substantially parallel horizontal hollow plates 84 the interior of which is filled with a lightweight non-absorptive relatively high strength material s-uch a Styrofoam or the like. The trailing edges of parallel plates 84 are closed with a .series of hard inserts 86 arranged to present a curving surface so that any contact made by air retaining flap 76 with a wave would be at an efficient planing angle. As shown in FIG- URE 4, the plates 82 are configured so that the adjacent flaps 76 are close together. Thus it is seen that the up and down movements of the various air retaining aps 76 may be accommodated without undue loss of pressurized gas from underneath the vehicle.

The attitude of air retaining flap 76 is controlled by a compressed air means 88 which is fixed to plate 58' by braces 90 in which comprises a pneumatic cylinder 92, a pressure tank 94, a conduit 96 which connects one end of the pneumatic cylinder 92 with the pressure tank 94, and a conventional compressor means, not shown, for filling the pressure tank 94 to a suitable pressure. Pneumatic cylinder 92 is equipped with a piston 98 connected by.a Wrist pin 100 to a piston rod 102, which in turn is pivotally connected to the bell crank arm 104 which is rigidly .secured to air retaining flap 76. As mentioned previously the pressure tank 94 is filled by conventional compressure to a suitable pressure which is preferably on the order of 1,000 p.s.i. Since the pressure may be varied to suit operating conditions, the effective resiliency of the cornpressed air means 8S may be altered.

When one of the air retaining flaps '76 contacts a part of the undulating underlying water surface, the impact will act to pivot that flap about its pivotal connection against the resistance of the air compressed means. When the ap 76 disengages the underlying surface, the compressed air in tank 94 will act to pivot fiaps 76 downwardly, thus minimizing the loss of compressed air from plenum chamber 42. lt has been found that it is pa;- tieularly desirable to exert a substantially constant force upon the flaps 76, which necessitates the making of pressure tank 94 of a very large size. In making the tanks 94 large it has been found that they are usable as a transverse load supporting means thus lessening other structural weight.

Positioned in the lower rear portion of plenum chamber 42 is another air foil like body 106 which spans the lateral distance between side walls 20 and on `which is mounted a series of rearwardly extending air retaining flaps 108 operated by compressed air means 110 in the same manner as forward aps 7 6 are operated. Since rear air retaining flaps 108 are of identical construction with forward air retaining flaps 76 the operation of the rearward aps will be substantially as discussed previously.

A rear air control fiap 112 is pivotally mounted on the rearward end of lower wall 18 by a bearing 114. The rear- Ward air control ap 112 may be selectively manipulated by a conventional hydraulic cylinder 116 which is pivotally mounted on sidewall 20 at 113 and which may be pivotally mounted on the rearward air control ap 112 as at 120. Thus it is seen that the cooperation of the rearward air control ap 112 in the forward air control aps 50, 56 act to provide a substantially closed plenum chamber 42, thereby giving the ground effects machine 1t? a hovering capability.

Mounted rearwardly of each vertical side wall 20 is an attitude control Hap 122 mounted thereon by bearing 124. The attitude control fiap may be selectively manipulated by a conventional hydraulic cylinder 128 which is pivotally connected to vertical side wall 20 by bearing 130 and which is pivotally connected to attitude control flap 122 by a bearing 126. Attitude control iiap 122 is normally positioned in a plane slightly upwardly and rearwardly inclined to the horizontal. Should the ground effects machine tend to nose up the aps 122 will contact the underlying water surface and act as a supporting member tending to force the nose of the machinefdown.

Each of the wings 12 is equipped with a telescoping hydrofoil .shown generally at 134 mounted on the lateral extremity thereof and projecting forwardly of the front wing surface 136. As disclosed in my prior United States Patent No. 3,117,545, dated Jan. 14, 1964, the hydrofoil shown generally at 134 is equipped with a lower small area foil 138 and an upper large area foil 140. When the ground effects machine begins to tilt laterally, the small area hydrofoil 138 on the lowering side will sink into the water and the large area foil 140 will contact that surface giving a greatly increased lift -to the lowering side, thus leveling the vehicle. As more fully described in my aforementioned patent, the hydrofoil structures 84 are made telescopic so that they may be retracted in shallow water or on land.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is provided an improved ground effects machine which accomplishes all of the objects of the invention and others, including many advantages of practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made 'within this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A ground effects machine having a center of gravity and a plenum chamber, means on said machine for injecting a pressurized gas into said chamber, and air retention means spaced about a portion of the periphery of said machine, said means comprising a series of pivotally mounted air retaining flaps unidirectionally oriented toward an end of said machine, and adjustably resilient power means operatively connected with said retaining flaps for controlling the attitude of said flaps for maintaining a substantially constant adjustable biasing force on the flaps regardless of the position of said aps, said air retaining flaps comprising a pair of spaced apart upper and lower plates having the space so formed filled with a lightweight, non-absorptive, high strength material, an upstanding member closing the lateral edges of said plates and extending above and below said plates, and means closing the trailing edge of said plates.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the means closing the trailing edge of said plates comprises a series of plates affixed to both upstanding members presenting a downwardly facing -substantially convex surface.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said lightweight, nonabsorptive, high strength material is Styrofoam.

4. A ground effects machine having a forward end, a rearward end, a center of gravity and a plenum chamber, means on said machine for injecting a pressurized gas into said chamber, and air retention means spaced along said forward and rearward ends of said machine, said means comprising a series of pivotally mounted air retaining flaps oriented toward the rearward end of said machine, said flaps comprising a pair of spaced apart upper and lower plates having the space so formed filled with a lightweight, non-absorptive, high strength material, an upstanding member closing the lateral edges of said plates and extending above and below said plates, and means closing the trailing edge of said plates. l

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,819,216 8/1931 Warner 180-7 2,387,627 10/ 1945 Warner 180-7 3,066,753 12/1962 Hurley et al 114-665. 3,141,436 7/1964 Cathers et al. 180--7 3,146,752 9/1964 Ford 180-7 3,159,361 12/1964 Weiland 180-7 3,177,837 4/1965 Sherrill 114-665 3,191,705 6/1965 Jones et al 180-7 3,200,782 8/1963 Walden et al 114-66.5 3,205,847 9/1965 Smith l80-7` 3,244,246 4/ 1966 Weiland 180-7 A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Examiner.

M. S. SALES, Assistant Examiner. 

4. A GROUND EFFECTS MACHINE HAVING A FORWARD END, A REARWARD END, A CENTER OF GRAVITY AND A PLENUM CHAMBER, MEANS ON SAID MACHINE FOR INJECTING A PRESSURIZED GAS INTO SAID CHAMBER, AND AIR RETENTION MEANS SPACED ALONG SAID FORWARD AND REARWARD ENDS OF SAID MACHINE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A SERIES OF PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AIR RETAINING FLAPS ORIENTED TOWARD THE REARWARD END OF SAID MACHINE, SAID FLAPS COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED APART UPPER AND 